Typography

Member lesson

What a typeface actually says

Lesson 6 of 34 in Typography.

The History of Typography - Animated Short · Ben Barrett-Forrest
Lesson

You are borrowing an argument somebody else had.

letteringdrawn for this word onlytypeone set · every word after
Lettering drawn once for one word, against type set from a repeatable alphabet.
Three cards of the same abstract lettering in slab, high-contrast and round styles, with arrows pointing to a toolbox, a perfume bottle and a laptop.
The same made-up word drawn in three styles points to three different shops. A typeface tells people what sort of business you are before they read anything.
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  1. Question 1, locked

    A founder realises three other brands use their exact typeface at the same weight. What does the lesson say they have chosen?

    • A voice that is clearly their own
    • A category rather than a voice
    • A typeface that will soon look dated
    • A face that no longer carries any argument
  2. Question 2, locked

    A brand-new company deliberately picks a typeface that clearly signals its category. How does the lesson view this?

    • Always a mistake, since it hides the brand's voice
    • Fine only once the brand is already well known
    • Fine, as long as the face is from the 1920s
    • Sometimes exactly right, as long as you know it
  3. Question 3, locked

    Before committing to a typeface, what cheap test does the lesson suggest?

    • Show your headline in three contrasting faces to an outsider
    • Ask your own team which of three similar faces feels most like the brand
    • Set the headline in your face at three weights and pick the clearest
    • Check which of three faces your nearest competitors already use

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